Beatles fans to get videogame on September 9

Fans of The Beatles who have always wanted to sing alongside John and Paul, or rock with George and Ringo, will finally get their chance on September 9 when the band's much-anticipated videogame hits the shelves.

Apple Corps, which handles the affairs of the group, and Viacom Inc.'s MTV Networks yesterday set the sale date and announced the software would be priced at €47. Fans can spend another €79 to buy instruments similar to those used by the groundbreaking rock and roll group.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be available simultaneously at locations in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand on September 9 - a date picked to acknowledge the significance of the number nine for the band.

The videogame is based on MTV's popular Rock Band and will "allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band's legendary career," the companies said in a statement.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be compatible with Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360, Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3, and Nintendo Co. Ltd. Wii entertainment systems. Existing Rock Band instrument controllers can be used to play the game.

Since the initial announcement last October, few details have been released about the game and the companies have yet to disclose some specifics, such as which songs from the library will be included.

But once released, the videogame will mark the band's first leap into the world of digital music. Beatles' songs are still unavailable on Apple Inc.'s iTunes, for instance, as surviving members of the group and their representatives have closely guarded the distribution of their music.

Other major rock and roll bands, such as Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, have made their music available for sale online and have licensed music to Rock Ban" or Activision Blizzard Inc.'s competing Guitar Hero game.